Just a minute ago, Shen Xinglan saw the news about Xie Weiyi's return to the country. In the next minute, she received a call from her fiancé, Huo Huaichuan.
"Xinglan, I'm at Water's Edge. Come over here," he said.
Although perplexed, Shen Xinglan showed up at Water's Edge Winery. But before she could approach him, she heard Huo Huaichuan speaking.
"Qin An, I no longer wish to marry Xinglan. I'm afraid I'll regret it," he admitted.
"Because of Xie Weiyi?"
"Yes, I can't forget her, and I don't want to hurt Xinglan," Huo Huaichuan voiced painfully.
Shen Xinglan remained still. She was supposed to be angry. But she felt strangely relieved instead.
"But aren't you and Xinglan getting married the day after tomorrow?"
Qin An asked. He, Huo Huaichuan, and Shen Xinglan had grown up together; from kindergarten to high school, they attended the same school.
"I'm considering postponing it..."
"There's no need to postpone it. Just cancel the wedding," Shen Xinglan declared as she walked in. Her arrival unsettled Huo Huaichuan, and he hastily rose to his feet.
"Xinglan," Huo Huaichuan stammered in shame. He intended to propose postponing the wedding to her and then gently end the engagement over time. He did not wish to hurt her too deeply.
"Just cancel the wedding," Shen Xinglan reinforced with determination. If he did not wish to marry, she held the same sentiment. If neither harbored the intent to marry, a cancellation was the logical step. Delaying only led to inevitable dissolution.
The engagement between the Shen and Huo families had endured for generations, with none from the earlier generations fulfilling it. It was not until their generation that the elders from both sides unanimously decided to have her and Huo Huaichuan uphold the engagement.
Huo Huaichuan attempted to speak, but his phone rang. On picking up the call, his countenance drastically changed in under a minute.
"Xinglan, I'm sorry. I'll explain everything to you later," he said before leaving abruptly.
Watching Huo Huaichuan rush out, Qin An looked worriedly at Shen Xinglan.
"Qin An, accompany me for a drink, please," Shen Xinglan sighed, attempting to swallow her sorrow despite the strange relief she felt.
After pouring her a drink, Qin An sighed, "Xinglan, are you sure about calling off the wedding?"
The wedding between the Shen and Huo families was to take place the day after tomorrow. Notifications had already been sent. How would they retract them and what would the elders opt for if they called off the wedding now?
"One minute before Huo Huaichuan called me, I saw the news about Xie Weiyi's return," Shen Xinglan declared calmly. Xie Weiyi was Huo Huaichuan's first love, his moon.
The moment the news of a marriage alliance between the Shen and Huo families was announced, Xie Weiyi left the country.
Upon mentioning Xie Weiyi, Qin An too fell silent. Undoubtedly, Huo Huaichuan loved her. But he believed Xie Weiyi didn't reciprocate that affection. When the Shen-Huo alliance was formed without specifying who, she fled the country.
Now that she was back, making a grand return right before Huo Huaichuan and Shen Xinglan's wedding, he had reasons to suspect her intentions.
"Qin An, don't move. Why... why are there two of you?" Shen Xinglan slurred, obviously drunk.
Before Qin An could comprehend, Shen Xinglan had fallen into drunken stupor, escalating quickly because of her strong but unusual tolerance for alcohol.
Just as Qin An was about to rise, a formidable man walked in, compelling him to freeze in place.
Huo Shiyan, the rare latter-day son of the patriarch of the Huo family, predominantly resided overseas and rarely made public appearances. Although behind the scenes, he single-handedly controlled the Huo Group as its leader.
"Oh, Uncle Three from the Huo family?" Shen Xinglan mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.
Watching her rub her eyes with intensity, Qin An attempted to halt her but was stopped by Huo Shiyan instead.
"It truly is Uncle Three. It's impeccable timing! I have something to discuss with you," Shen Xinglan said, holding his hand, apparently oblivious to her usual apprehension around Huo Shiyan.
Huo Shiyan remained tight-lipped, wearing a stern expression.
"Uncle Three, please don't be too harsh with Xinglan..."
"Shut up," Huo Shiyan curtly interrupted Qin An, his icy gaze chilling the room.
"Uncle Three, Huo Huaichuan's indefensible! We're meant to marry the day after tomorrow, and he tells me he wants to postpone it! And after the postponement, he plans to call off the engagement! As if I wouldn't see through his ruse! Don't you agree it's outrageous?" Shen Xinglan rambled, clutching his hand, her tone unmistakably petulant.
"And did you agree?" Huo Shiyan questioned gravely, his deep-set eyes piercing hers.
Shen Xinglan straightened herself and declared loudly, "Of course not! While he wished for a postponement, I suggested an outright cancellation. As the pampered heiress of the great Shen family, am I supposed to wait for him to abandon me for another woman?"
"Well done!"
Huo Shiyan's eyes twinkled and the corner of his mouth twitched into a wry smile.
"Uncle Three, will you please help me teach him a lesson?" Shen Xinglan cuddled up to Huo Shiyan's arm and pouted. Qin An could only facepalm and if Shen Xinglan weren't drunk, he would have given her a thumbs up.
She was indeed the first to dare to snuggle up to Huo Shiyan!
Everyone knew Huo Shiyan was a germaphobe, not allowing anyone to touch his belongings, and absolutely not permitting physical contact with him.
"What do you want me to do?" Huo Shiyan inquired. Huo Huaichuan definitely needed to be taught a lesson for not voicing his objections to this arranged marriage sooner.
"If he wishes to marry Xie Weiyi, please express your disapproval, so he can't marry her. Would that be okay?"
As Shen Xinglan's words fell, Huo Shiyan's expression turned stormy. His large hand gripped Shen Xinglan's shoulder tightly.
"Do you have feelings for Huo Huaichuan?" he demanded.
"Uncle Three, that hurts," Shen Xinglan let out, her brow furrowed in discomfort.
Huo Shiyan let go of her and turned to Qin An, uttering in a cold voice, "Aren't you leaving?"
"Leaving, right away," Qin An replied, terrified to say the least. He didn't bother checking on Shen Xinglan.
Although Uncle Three of the Huo family was intimidating, Shen Xinglan seemed fine after managing to sweet-talk him. So, he believed everything was under control.
"Tell me, do you like Huo Huaichuan?" Huo Shiyan lifted Shen Xinglan's chin with his slender finger to gaze into her eyes.
Shen Xinglan stared blankly at him and then flashed a silly smile, reaching out to caress his handsome face.
"Uncle Three, Huo Huaichuan is nothing compared to you. If you were my fiancé, that would be wonderful," she confessed before slumping in his arm, asleep.
Huo Shiyan was momentarily taken aback, unsure whether to be amused or annoyed.
It took him a while before he gently held her in his arms and left Water's Edge Winery with her.
Qin An, hidden in the shadows, watched as Huo Shiyan placed Shen Xinglan with utmost carefulness in his car, his pupils dilating in shock, unable to believe his eyes.
Huo Shiyan was a germaphobe who detested physical contact. How could he...
No, it's highly likely that he's attracted to Shen Xinglan!
The following day, Shen Xinglan woke up with a splitting headache. She jerked upright, startled by the unfamiliar surroundings.
Looking down at her attire, she noticed she was in her nightgown - her clothes had been taken off! Her face drained of its color.
She got up and approached the vanity table. Despite feeling no physical discomfort, her heart pounded against her chest as she noticed the bruises around her collarbone. How did they get there? She remembered drinking with Qin An- could it be that Qin?